


Say it with flowers!

by ChopinWorshipper



Category: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Floriography, Flower Language, Fluff, M/M, NO ANGST THIS TIME, i wanted to write something cute for once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 15:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18449132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChopinWorshipper/pseuds/ChopinWorshipper
Summary: Hyde gets a bouquet of flowers and is confused. So he asks Lady Summers to help him out.





	Say it with flowers!

He blinked confusedly at the huge, colourful bouquet of flowers shoved into his face.   
"What the hell is this?", he asked the person offering him the bouquet.  
The taller, black-haired man frowned. "A bouquet of flowers, obviously. That's a ridiculous question, even from you, Hyde."  
"I see that, but you  _do_ know, that I'm not the kind of man, who-"  
"It's for both you and Jekyll", the other interrupted him impatiently. "Now shut up and take the damn flowers!"  
Then he shoved the bouquet into Hyde's arms and ran off. Now that was uncharacteristic for him. Was he in a hurry?  
The brunette frowned, then balanced the bouquet in one arm, to get out his key and open the door.  
  
"Hey, Jekyll!", he called out, as soon as he was in their lab. "What the heck just happened?"  
At once, the distorted image of his other half appeared on one of the glass cabinets.  _"I don't know, Hyde."_  
"Do you think he put something in that bouquet? Something poisonous, or-"  
Jekyll laughed:  _"Don't be silly, Hyde! Like he would do that!"_  
"He did look pretty miffed."  
_"You would've been miffed too, if you caught him coming home from a night of visiting the coffee houses*."_  
There was no arguing with that.  
Hyde had spent a fun night, as usual, when he returned to Jekyll's home.   
But tonight, as he was approaching the backdoor to Jekyll's lab, it had happened like a replay of their first meeting, that he met with Mr. Gabriel John Utterson, Jekyll's lawyer.  
Who currently also happened to be the lover of both of them.   
Now one might think, that he would be faithful to his lover, but Edward Hyde wasn't someone for monogamy, even though he was extremely possessive of Utterson and ready to murder everyone, who coquetted with his lawyer.   
Utterson didn't seem to mind, or if he did, he never expressed it. It would have been pointless anyway.  
But still, what had that just been about?  
"Still though, what's with these stupid flowers? What am I supposed to do with them?"  
_"I think he wants to tell you - us, something with them. It's popular to exchange words through flowers. But don't ask me what flower means what, I really don't remember."_  
Hyde thought for a moment. Maybe some of the servants would know the meaning of the flowers … oh, like hell would he admit to a servant of Jekyll's, that he didn't know something!   
What time was it anyway? He looked at the grandfather clock at the opposite wall. It was midnight.  
_Huh … it's not as late as I thought._  
Suddenly, he had an idea.  
_"Hyde? What are you doing?"_ , Jekyll questioned, when Hyde slipped back into his coat,  _"You've had your fun for tonight, where else would you want to go at this hour-HYDE!!!"_  
"Calm down, Jekyll", the brunette giggled, "I'm just going to your study! I need to use your new telephone."  
Then he leapt out of the window, with the flower bouquet tucked in his coat.  
  
_"Was zur Hölle-?!**"_ , Lady Summers grumbled, when her telephone rang, just as she had been about to retire.   
With a sour expression, she took up the receiver. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, this is Edward Hyde speaking", he timidly spoke into the telephone. He had never used the apparatus before and wasn't quite sure as to how it worked. So he was relieved, when he heard the Prussian's mellow, faintly lisping voice answer, albeit slightly distorted by the receiver.  
**"Ah, Mister Hyde! What a surprise! I hope you have a good reason to call me at this time, I was about to retire."**  
"It won't be long", he assured her, "I just wanna know something. Hark, I just met Gab- Mr. Utterson and he gave me a bouquet of flowers."  
For a few seconds Lady Summers didn't answer and Hyde wondered, if there was something wrong with the telephone. But then he heard her amused chuckle.  **"Well, that doesn't sound like a problem to me!"**  
"But Jekyll says that this could be a message and that the flowers have meanings. But he doesn't know what meaning, that's why I'm calling you."  
**"Oh, I see. Well, don't you worry, I'm an expert on floriography! First off, if he gives you a bouquet of flowers, it usually means, that he loves you very much and wants you to be the only one to know."**  
Hyde snorted: "As if. He's my bed-fellow, nothing more. And Jekyll and I already are the only ones who know - well, except for you and Lanyon."  
He heard Jekyll snort in his head, which overlapped with Lady Summers' giggle.   
**"You keep telling yourself that, Mr. Hyde"** , she chortled,  **"But back to your flower bouquet. Tell me what the flowers are and I'll reveal, what he means to tell you."**  
"To me and Jekyll."  
**"Oh?"**  
"Yes, the bouquet is for both of us, he said."  
**"Interesting. Then I hope the doctor is listening?"**  
_"I am"_ , Jekyll whispered in his head.  
"He is", he informed the Lady.   
**"Good. Now, tell me what flowers there are."**  
Hyde opened the ribbon and lay the flowers out on the table next to him. It sure was a colourful assortment.  
_Jekyll, I don't know all of the flowers._  
"Don't worry, I'll help you with the ones you don't know."  
"So it seems every flower in this bouquet is there twice. One for Jekyll and one for me, I guess."  
**"Go on."**  
He picked up the first two flowers, two fragrant lilies.  
"I have here two lilies."  
**"What colour?"**  
"Orange."  
**"Oh."** Her voice sounded surprised.  **"Go on."**  
"Wait, what does it mean?"  
**"I'll tell you in the end. Go on and don't forget to give me the colour with the sort of flower. The meaning of a flower also depends a lot on the colour"** , the Prussian explained.  
Hyde was worried at her tone, but continued: "Two yellow carnations …"  
**"Huh …"**  
"Two geranium flowers …"  
The Lady snorted audibly.  
"Two marigolds …"  
**"Oh. Oh dear …"**  
Hyde picked up two flowers that looked like hyacinths - but since when could hyacinths be yellow?  
_"They can be"_ , Jekyll told him,  _"They're just not that easy to get your hands on."_  
"Alright, I also have two yellow hyacinths."  
**"Not surprising at this point"** , the Lady replied.  
Hyde, by now thoroughly annoyed by her dry commenting, continued: "Then I have two daffodils and two petunias. That's all for now."  
**"I see … uhm …"**  
"Well?", he growled impatiently.  
Her answer came rather hesitantly:  **"Mr. Hyde … I'm afraid he wants to say - pardon my French - 'You're bloody arseholes and I can't stand you'."**  
Hyde almost dropped the receiver.  
"In flower?!", he cried incredulously.  
**"In flower"** , Lady Summers confirmed. She didn't sound like she was joking.  
Jekyll was dead silent in his head, obviously just as shocked as he was.  
For a few minutes not a word was exchanged.  
Finally Lady Summers' worried voice broke the silence:  **"Mister Hyde? Are you still there?"**  
"Yes … are you sure, Milady? I mean, the flowers - just explain!"  
_Why am I feeling so anxious all of the sudden? I mean, it's no surprise-_  
**"Alright, Mr. Hyde: orange lilies mean hatred. Yellow carnations essentially mean the same, or to be more specific, they mean 'You have disappointed me'. Geraniums mean 'stupidity' or 'folly'. Marigold stands for cruelty, despair, grief or jealousy. Yellow hyacinths simply mean 'I'm jealous'. Daffodils stand for egotism and petunias stand for resentment and anger. In conclusion, he is angry with you and done with your behaviour and your attitude towards your relationship."**  
"…"  
In his head, Hyde could hear Jekyll sob bitterly. He was probably having a nervous breakdown about how he had known it all along, that Gabriel hated them both, that they weren't worthy of him and so on.   
Hyde himself didn't know, what he was feeling. Shock? Disappointment? Upset? Hurt? Anger? Resignation? He had no blooming clue!  
**"Mister Hyde?"** Lady Summers' voice snapped him out of it.  
"What?", he snapped in annoyance.  
**"Check if there are any more flowers hidden in the bouquet."**  
"What? Why?"  
**"Just try it. What do you have to lose?"**  
Curse that Prussian bitch for always being right! How did she do that?!  
He searched the bouquet and lo and behold, he did indeed find a tiny bouquet that was hidden within the bigger one.  
"There is! But how did you-?"  
**"I didn't. It was just female intuition. What flowers are those?"**  
"Two primroses and two violets."  
_I swear, if this is another 'I hate you'-bouquet, I will-_  
Suddenly, the Prussian cackled at the other end of the line. What the bloody hell was so funny now?!  
**"Oh, Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll, you two are some lucky rascals! Your 'bedfellow', as you call him, is way too good for you!"**  
"What?"  
Hyde heard Jekyll gasp in mortification. He himself usually found the Lady's bluntness rather amusing, but right now he was just confused and wanted answers.  
The Lady giggled, before explaining merrily:  **"Primroses mean 'I can't live without you'. Violets mean 'I will always be true' or 'I will always be there'. They stand for modesty, faithfulness, loyalty and devotion. That adds a nice bonus to the arsehole message, don't you agree?"**  
Hyde nodded absently. Then he shook his head in disbelief.  
_That crazy lawyer …_  
**"Mister Hyde, are you alright?"**  
He blinked. "But of course!", he cried, "Why would I not be?"  
It was true. He was feeling just fine. So why-  
Oh.  
"Jekyll is bawling in my head", he informed the aristocrat.  
_"Don't mind me"_ , Jekyll sobbed,  _"It's just tears of joy!"_  
**" _Just_ Jekyll?",** she queried. He could picture her lifting an eyebrow.  
It was only after her retort, that Hyde realised, that he too was crying.  
_Tears … where the hell did they come from?_  
"No", he admitted quietly, not quite sure, if the Prussian noblewoman could hear him through the phone. Then he cleared his throat and continued a bit louder: "Don't worry, I'm good. That's it for now, Milady. Thank you."  
**"My pleasure, but next time don't call me in the middle of the night. Good night."**  
"Good night."  
He hung up the phone. Then, for some reason, he began to laugh giddily. While he was crying.  
_What's wrong with me?_  
Now it was Jekyll's turn to laugh:  _"Isn't that plain, Hyde? There's nothing wrong with you! You're happy! Those are tears of joy you're crying here! You're happy, because Gabriel loves you just like me!"_  
Hyde didn't even feel like arguing. He just continued to laugh like an idiot.  
Suddenly two arms wrapped themselves around him from behind.  
"Edward", Utterson cooed gently.  
Hyde squirmed, turning around in the other's arms.   
Then he grabbed the lawyer by the collar and pulled him into a searing kiss.  
"Fuck you too, you bastard!", he rasped, when they broke apart.  
"You got my message then?"  
"Damn right, I did!", Hyde growled and kissed him again. "If you ever break that promise and leave me, I'll bloody kill you. You're mine."  
"Then it's only my right to ask the same of you", Utterson growled back, "If I am to be yours, you must be mine as well."  
The younger man smirked and wrapped his arms around the lawyer's neck.   
"Fine with me, Gabe", he purred seductively.  
Another make-out session ensued.  
The black-haired man was cradling Hyde in his arms and the brunette allowed himself to melt.  
_Is this what love feels like?_

 

* * *

 

I've been wanting to write this for quite a while, so I did it, as long as I still had the inspiration. Btw, in the Victorian age it was popular to convey feelings through flowers, especially if saying them out loud would be inappropriate. There is an entire language built around it, it's called 'floriography' or 'Semlalik'. This custom is an import from the Middle East, or from the Ottoman Empire, to be specific.  
  
*the coffee houses - euphemistic Victorian slang for the brothels  
_**Was zur Hölle - German for 'What the hell'_


End file.
